The Jacobi Medallion: A Celebration of Excellence

Nine accomplished physicians and researchers were honored with the 2019 Jacobi Medallion—one of Mount Sinai’s highest awards—at a special event held at The Plaza on Thursday, March 14.

Dennis S. Charney, MD, Anne and Joel Ehrenkranz Dean, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and President for Academic Affairs, Mount Sinai Health System, addressed nearly 400 alumni, donors, faculty, and staff gathered for the awards ceremony, including Kenneth L. Davis, MD, President and Chief Executive Officer, Mount Sinai Health System. The Jacobi Medallion honors Mount Sinai alumni and faculty who have distinguished themselves in education, clinical and patient care, and biomedical science, or in extraordinary service to The Mount Sinai Hospital, the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, or The Mount Sinai Alumni Association.

“Our honorees have excelled as educators, administrators, researchers, and clinicians—they truly show the range of excellence that Mount Sinai is known for,” Dr. Charney said.

Dr. Charney noted the many significant accomplishments at the Icahn School of Medicine during the last year. These include initiatives to improve faculty, trainee, and student wellness, and to reduce racism and bias in medicine and medical education, as well as the creation of a new position of Dean for Gender Equity in Science and Medicine. He also spotlighted major genetic discoveries in the areas of cancer, inflammatory diseases, autism, and Alzheimer’s disease, and important research that is leading to new treatments for cancers, heart disease, diabetes, and depression—all as Mount Sinai embarks on new plans to expand, rebuild, and modernize its research labs, hospitals, and ambulatory care centers.

“Thank you, alumni community, for your commitment to Mount Sinai as we continue to excel as a world-class medical school and health system,” Dr. Charney said.

Burton A. Cohen, MD, President of The Mount Sinai Alumni Association and Associate Clinical Professor of Radiology, delivered opening remarks, and Sandra K. Masur, PhD, Chair of the Jacobi Medallion Award Selection Committee and Professor of Ophthalmology, introduced the recipients.

The honorees are:

Nina A. Bickell, MD, MPH
Associate Director, Community Engaged and Equity Research, The Tisch Cancer Institute
Co-Director, Center for Health Equity and Community Engaged Research
Co-Director, Cancer Prevention and Control, The Tisch Cancer Institute
Professor, Department of Population Health Science and Policy
Professor, Department of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Nina Andrea Bickell, MD, MPH, is a Professor of Population Health Science and Policy, a Professor of Medicine (General Internal Medicine), Co-Director of the Center for Health Equity and Community Engaged Research, Associate Director for Community Engaged and Equity Research at The Tisch Cancer Institute and Co-Lead of the Cancer Prevention and Control Program. At Mount Sinai since 1995, Dr. Bickell has been working with the Harlem community and safety net hospitals throughout the NYC metropolitan area to reduce disparities in cancer care. Her work assessing the role of race, obesity, insulin resistance and aggressive breast cancer have expanded collaborations nationally. Dr. Bickell has extensive experience in large-scale, multi-center trials with regional, national, and international collaborations designed to understand causes of racial disparities, promote health equity and improve the quality of cancer care. Clinically, Dr. Bickell sees patients at Mount Sinai’s Internal Medicine Associates as a primary care physician serving East and Central Harlem.

 

Steven J. Burakoff, MD
Dean for Cancer Innovation
Chief, Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology
Lillian and Henry M. Stratton Professor of Cancer Medicine
Professor, Department of Medicine
Professor, Department of Oncological Sciences
Professor, Jack and Lucy Clark Department of Pediatrics, Jack Martin Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Steven J. Burakoff, MD is currently the Dean for Cancer Innovation and Chief, Pediatric Oncology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Dr. Burakoff was previously the Director of The Tisch Cancer Institute from 2007-2017 at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Prior to coming to New York, Dr. Burakoff was the Margaret M. Dyson Professor at Harvard Medical School, the first recipient of the Harvard Medical School Excellence in Mentoring Award and was a member of the Board of Trustees at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. Dr. Burakoff’s contributions to the field of Immunology are demonstrated by his authorship of more than 300 publications in peer-reviewed journals and his receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Association of Immunologists. Dr. Burakoff is a member of the Board of Directors of the Damon Runyon Cancer Foundation and the Joint Scientific Advisory Board for Stand Up to Cancer. He also serves as a member of the External Advisory Committee of several Cancer Centers.

 

Zahi A. Fayad, PhD
Director, Translational and Molecular Imaging Institute
Lucy G. Moses Professorship in Medical Imaging and Bioengineering
Vice Chair for Research and Professor, Department of Radiology
Professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Zahi A. Fayad, PhD currently serves as a Professor of Radiology and Medicine (Cardiology) at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai where he is the founding Director of the Translational and Molecular Imaging Institute and Vice Chair for Research in the Department of Radiology. Dr. Fayad’s interdisciplinary research is dedicated to the detection and prevention of cardiovascular disease with seminal contributions in the field of multimodality biomedical imaging and nanomedicine. A faculty member of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai since 1997, his work has recently expanded to understanding the effect of stress on the immune system and cardiovascular disease. The author of more than 500 peer-reviewed publications, 50 book chapters, and 500 meeting presentations, Dr. Fayad is currently the principal investigator of numerous NIH grants, sub-contracts, and pharmaceutically-funded clinical trials. He is the recipient of multiple prestigious awards and has trained over 100 postdoctoral fellows, clinical fellows, and students.

 

Amy J. Goldberg, MD, FACS, MSSM ‘87
The George S. Peters, MD and Louise C. Peters Chair in Surgery
Professor and Chair, Department of Surgery, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University
Surgeon-in-Chief, Temple University Health System

Amy J. Goldberg, MD, FACS is a 1987 graduate of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine. She currently serves as Professor and Chair of the Department of Surgery at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Surgeon-in-Chief of Temple University Health System, Medical Director of Perioperative Services at Temple University Hospital, and is a newly elected Director of the American Board of Surgery. Dr. Goldberg is well recognized as a superb educator – winning several teaching awards including Temple University’s highest teaching honor, The Great Teacher Award in 2018, the Lindback Award, and multiple Golden Apple Awards. Her contributions to academic medicine have earned numerous accolades throughout her career. Dr. Goldberg is widely recognized as an expert in violence prevention and improved outcomes for victims of trauma. She is also a nationally celebrated clinician scholar with a robust portfolio of highly regarded publications and presentations.

 

Annapoorna S. Kini, MD, MRCP, FACC
Director, Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory
Director, Structural Heart Disease Program
The Mount Sinai Hospital
Director, Interventional Cardiology Fellowship Program
Zena and Michael A. Wiener Professor of Medicine
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Annapoorna S. Kini, MD, MRCP, FACC, is the endowed Zena and Michael A. Wiener Professor of Medicine at the Zena and Michael A. Wiener Cardiovascular Institute at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. An internationally acclaimed leader in the field of percutaneous coronary intervention and heart valve therapy, she is the Director of the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory and Director of the Structural Heart Intervention at The Mount Sinai Hospital. Dr. Kini is known for her expertise in performing complex coronary interventions and has contributed substantially in making The Mount Sinai Hospital’s Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory one of the busiest and best in the world. She is highly regarded in giving quality services to adults with coronary artery disease and various forms of structural heart disease which includes Transcatheter aortic valve replacement and Transcatheter mitral valve therapies. Dr. Kini is also an excellent teacher dedicated to the teaching of both cardiology and interventional fellows.

 

Daniel Maklansky, MD
Radiologist, New York Medical Imaging Associates
Attending Radiologist, The Mount Sinai Hospital
Associate Clinical Professor, Department of Radiology
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Daniel Maklansky, MD is a partner at New York Medical Imaging Associates, an Attending Radiologist at The Mount Sinai Hospital and an Associate Clinical Professor of Radiology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Dr. Maklansky, a graduate of the State University of New York Downstate Medical School, has been associated with Mount Sinai, its patients, residents and fellows, and attending physicians since beginning his radiology residency here in 1959. Dr. Maklansky has authored or co-authored at least 24 peer-reviewed publications as well as multiple chapters in the gastrointestinal radiology literature. He has also trained countless medical students, radiology residents and gastroenterology fellows, both in weekly conferences that he co-chaired over many years, as well as in rotations through his office. Dr. Maklansky has been very involved with the Association of the Attending Staff of Mount Sinai, and served as the Scientific Course Director of its annual symposium over many years.

 

Reginald W. Miller, DVM, DACLAM
Dean for Research Operations and Infrastructure
Associate Professor, Center for Comparative Medicine and Surgery
Associate Professor, Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Reginald W. Miller, DVM, DACLAM serves as the Dean for Research Operations and Infrastructure and is responsible for the oversight of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Biosafety, Environmental Health and Safety, Laboratory Safety including the Select Agents and Toxins Program (Operations), Core Facilities and Shared Resources as well as Basic Science Laboratory Infrastructure (Infrastructure). Dr. Miller is also the Senior Research Integrity Officer (RIO) for the Mount Sinai Health System. In this role, he is responsible for conducting reviews of allegations of research misconduct and ensuring that a program on the Responsible Conduct of Research is in place. Dr. Miller’s other roles at Mount Sinai include serving as Co-Chair for the Diversity in Biomedical Research Council, and Director of the Friends of Odysseus (FOD) Black and Latino male mentoring program. His particular emphasis is on outreach to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU’s). He is an Associate Professor of Comparative Medicine and Surgery as well as Associate Professor of Environmental Medicine and Public Health.

 

David C. Thomas, MD, MHPE
System Vice Chair for Education, Department of Medicine
Associate Dean for Continuing Medical Education
Professor, Department of Medicine
Professor, Department of Medical Education
Professor, Department of Rehabilitation and Human Performance
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

David C. Thomas, MD, MHPE serves as the System Vice Chair for Education in the Department of Medicine and is the Associate Dean for Continuing Medical Education (CME) at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Dr. Thomas is a Professor of Medicine, Medical Education and Rehabilitation and Human Performance. As a valued and dedicated Clinician-Educator at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Dr. Thomas has developed programs and taught at all levels of the continuum of education – from Undergraduate Medical Education to Graduate Medical Education and Continuing Medical Education. Dr. Thomas has been affiliated with Mount Sinai for over 20 years and has dedicated his entire career to the care of underserved and vulnerable patients. In 2004, he Co-Founded the East Harlem Health Outreach Partnership (EHHOP), a student run, attending-directed clinic for uninsured members of the East Harlem community with the goal of providing equitable access to high quality, comprehensive healthcare to all.

 

Ming-Ming Zhou, PhD
Co-Director, Drug Discovery Institute
Dr. Harold and Golden Lamport Professorship in Physiology and Biophysics
Professor and Chair, Department of Pharmacological Sciences
Professor, Department of Oncological Sciences
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Ming-Ming Zhou, PhD is the Dr. Harold and Golden Lamport Professorship in Physiology and Biophysics and Chairman of the Department of Pharmacological Sciences at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. He is also Co-Director of the Drug Discovery Institute, and Professor of Oncological Sciences. His research interest is directed at better understanding of the basic principles that governs epigenetic regulation of gene transcription in human biology of health and diseases. The Zhou Lab was the first to discover the bromodomain as the lysine-acetylated histone binding domain (‘chromatin reader’) in gene transcription (Nature 1999), and demonstrate druggability and therapeutic potential of modulating bromodomain/acetyl-lysine binding in gene expression to treat a wide array of human diseases including cancer and inflammation. This concept has had a transformative impact in epigenetic drug discovery in the pharmaceutical industry. Dr. Zhou was elected as a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2012.